How IT Professionals Can Use Cloud-Based Technology For Cyber And Physical Security Convergence

By Nadine Holloway, freelance writer.

The top cloud-based security concerns are the threat of exposed credentials, data loss, and data privacy. If your business is investing in cloud-based security technologies, it is prudent to establish collaboration between IT and physical security teams.

How can IT professionals use cloud-based technology for cyber and physical security convergence?

Keep reading as we discuss the main ways IT professionals can leverage cloud-based security technology for a blended approach to physical and cyber security.

Cyber And Physical Security Convergence For IT Professionals

Physical and cyber security are no longer separate concepts. Your IT and physical security teams need to work alongside one another to ensure your cloud-based physical security tools are effective. Here, we will discuss the trends and considerations for IT professionals when it comes to cloud-based security.

AI, Video Surveillance, And Access Control

By picking the best door access control solution that integrates with video surveillance, IT professionals can gain insight into both sets of data for simpler identity verification processes. One of the significant vulnerabilities in an access control system is the potential for stolen access credentials to be used to enter the building.

A video intercom reader integrates both video surveillance and access control into one device for a more streamlined building entry security system. The data from both sources will be hosted on one platform, making it easier to view and compare the information. If both systems are held on different platforms, verifying users' identity will be more time-consuming. IT professionals will have to match timestamps from the video surveillance footage with access logs to resolve incidents involving misappropriated access credentials.

IT professionals can even automate the identity verification process. You can create automated alerts by applying identity verification software to integrated video and access control. When someone is attempting to enter the building with access credentials that aren’t their own, this will trigger a warning, allowing both physical and digital security teams to respond quickly.

Remote And Mobile-First Security Management

You can integrate cloud-based technologies to form an overall blended system. All security information will be hosted on one platform to streamline processes. This cloud-based system can be managed remotely using a mobile application or a cloud-based control center. Some of the most useful cloud-based integrations to invest in include:

• Visitor management software - your security professionals need accurate data regarding visitor management. By integrating visitor management software with access control, IT professionals can ensure that visitor logs are accurate while automating the visitor management process. Visitor management software allows visitors to enter the building using temporary access credentials. To gain these credentials, visitors must fill out their details in a digital form. When they exit the building, the credentials are revoked, and the system will automatically sign them out.
  
  
• Alarm systems - at the center of every efficient physical security strategy is an emergency response procedure. To ensure your emergency response procedures are as effective as possible, your IT professionals can establish triggers and alerts that notify your security team when there has been an alarm system breach. In a cloud-based system, your security professionals can receive these alerts on their mobile devices from anywhere.
  
  
• Gunshot detection - if a gunshot occurs in your building, your IT staff can ensure that your security professionals receive immediate mobile alerts, allowing them to respond quickly.
  
  
• Lockdowns - if your security team receives an alert based on an alarm or gunshot detection trigger, your IT professionals can enable mobile response. Your security team will be able to initiate lockdown procedures from anywhere using their mobile device, allowing for immediate emergency response.

Automated Testing And Notifications

IT professionals can ensure that all anomalous data from your security tools is flagged, and notifications are send to your security team for response. By monitoring the data from your security tools, IT professionals can ensure that any cyber attacks on your cloud-based physical security tools are detected. Your cloud-based security system needs protection from cyber threats as well as physical ones. If there are any gaps with your IoT devices, your IT professionals will be able to notify system administrators and resolve the issue quickly.

Building Workflows, Alerts, And Notifications

IT professionals can ensure that workflows are assigned effectively when there is a security threat in the building. Automating the workflow creation process allows IT professionals to hasten the threat response procedure.

Your IT professionals must collaborate with your physical security team to determine which response procedures they should assign for each security threat. This will allow your IT team to establish automated workflows for a wide range of security threats. When a threat occurs, the system automatically assigns these workflows to security staff based on their status. Your IT team can also establish priorities for these threat response protocols to ensure that tasks are completed in line with their urgency.

Summary

If your company is investing in cloud-based security technologies, you must consider incorporating cybersecurity into your physical security plan. Your IT professionals can leverage IoT, AI, integration, and automation to ensure your physical security system is optimized. Converging cyber and physical security is the only way to overcome the unique challenges of the modern security climate.